The Finest Knitwear back in stock

The Finest Knitwear is back as of today, in V- and crew-neck, deep green and navy blue. Thanks to all those that have waited patiently for the new batch.

It was interesting seeing readers trying the knitwear during the pop-up.

Everyone has the same initial reaction, which is to feel a piece and say how soft it feels.

We deliberately used merino wool rather than cashmere (for longevity and natural stretch), but because it is the finest merino yarn you can buy, it feels noticeably and impressively different.

More similar, in fact, to the cashmere/silk mixes you see in a lot of luxury knitwear.

The problem with cashmere is that it pills when fine, particularly if worn under tailoring all the time (which is what the Finest Knitwear is designed for). Silk doesn’t help much either, just adding a bit of strength.

Ultrafine merino is the best of both worlds, and I can only think the reason most brands don’t use it is the fact cashmere and silk sound more luxurious.

The second reaction I saw readers have was when they tried pieces on.

The feel when you wear the knit doesn’t disappoint, but that fineness and natural stretch does mean it fits quite close.

That’s what you want under a jacket, of course, but it does mean guys can often wear two sizes - depending on how close they want it to fit.

I’m a 39-inch chest and wear a Medium, but could probably wear a Large if I wanted, and just have a touch more room. The feeling and look would be similar.

The last reaction is a slightly delayed one, and comes when readers have tried it, considered the fit, and started looking at the details.

It’s then that they realise how fine the fashioning is, reducing any knots or seams at the shoulders and under the arms.

To be fair, they’ve probably also read the coverage of the knitwear, and know to look out for all these things. It’s always a giveaway when they look for the lack of fashioning on the point of the V-neck.

Oh and as with everything, we sell at least 30% under the market rate, to reflect our lower costs and the way we work - with small batches but non-seasonal collections, which remove the need for sales.

I will add to your comments about the green colour. I was dead set on getting the navy crew but when I tried on the green (just for sizing initially) I loved it. I know this is not your intended purpose of the knitwear being so fine but I have found it actually goes very well (in green at least) just over a t shirt with smarter dark jeans, now the weather is turning I intend to wear it to death in the autumn

I’ll note that I was long looking for a forest green sweater suitable to wear with a tie, but just couldn’t find one, let alone find much in forest green. Your dark green hit the perfect colour, and the deep V was better than any V-neck I’d tried before for wearing with a tie. A superlative creation!

This presents an opportunity to comment on another vitally important topic: v-necks versus crew necks. Would you say that v-necks are the dressier choice and better for wearing with ties, whereas crew-necks are better for casual wear?

Although it might be a more old-fashioned look, I tend to go with the v-neck, not only because it shows the tie better, but because it’s easier to wear open-collar as well. I find that most crew necks tend to smush the collar if you wear it in, and look awkward if you wear the collar out. For that reason, I usually don’t wear crew necks with collared shirts but wear them directly over an undershirt (if it’s soft enough).

So for that reason, I tend to buy merino V-necks and cashmere crewnecks. The merino is thinner and works better over a collared shirt; the cashmere works better when worn directly on the skin or over an undershirt.

I think your approach sounds good. There is a nice look to a tie poking out of a crewneck sweater, but it is hard to get right and definitely looks more casual. I tend not to wear a tie even with V necks though – just with cardigans

Could you give a size recommendation? I have 2 Smedley Huntswood waistcoats (30 gage but not slim fit) in small. It was a little snug at first but a good fit. My chest size is 37 and I’m 5.7 feet tall. I’m debating between a small and a medium. Leaning toward small but worried it would be too tight.

Hi Simon, I realise that there is a link to the PS shop in the first para. (is back) but for newer readers (who might search elsewhere for a link) can I suggest a clearer, more explicit link to the shop site, especially as some of the other links lead to PS back articles (just to make the reader experience easier).

Hi Simon, I wondered if you had given any thought to producing a version of this knitwear in sleeveless cardigan/waistcoat form. In general, I find that the easiest and most useful form of knitwear to wear under tailoring, but some of the most difficult to find as a satisfactory product. Just a thought, but it might make a good third addition to the v-necked and crew necked versions of the PS knitwear.

Got mine this week and couldn’t be happier. Never touched wool like this before. The fit is great and not too tight – I was a bit worried and would have changed to a bigger size on reading your remark on sizing up without much sacrifice to fit. But the parcel was already on its way, and it turned out just fine in my regular size. Really lovely piece. A rollneck would be a natural next to me…

Just tried on a size M Finest Knitwear crewneck and the fit can be likened to a perfectly executed MTM fit…I have a 10 inch drop so I was really surprised the sweater fit me so well, with just the right amount of slimness. In fact, the sweater looks great with just an undershirt beneath it sans dress shirt!

The only thing I would change would be the sleeve length. Is it possible to have a tailor alter and reduce sleeve length?